Hi Brian!

Care to answer a few questions?

1) What was the first esterbrook pen you ever owned?

2) What is your most favorite pen in your collection

3) How many pens do you own (take a guess)

4) What is the most "rare" pen you own?

5) What is the "holy grail" pen that you don't own?

6) Will you ever set up an Esterbrook Only Pen Show?

7) Who are your pens willed to? ;o)

Thanks for all your great guidance to all of us other wanna-be Brians.

I'm really hoping that co-moderators have a leg up for question 7...

Gerry

Very funny Gerry!

Ummm..., let's see:

1) First Esterbrook was a Red SJ Esterbrook with a 1551 nib. I was extremely lucky in the fact that I bought this off ebay and it had a good working sac (I've never changed it), and the 1551 nib is smoth as butter. A fantastic little pen. Had either the sac or nib been bad, it might have skewed my interest and I might be collecting Sheafer's right now (which I originally started collecting back then).

2) Most favorite Esterbrook? Gosh, that's a tough one. I have so many really nice pens it's really hard to pick just one. Maybe my blue twist filler? Some Relief? Sorry, that's too hard to answer.

3) I have somewhere between 450-500 uniquely different Esterbrook pens, then there's another 150 or so non-esterbrooks. I rarely keep duplicates, unless it's something very special, or good trade fodder.

4) Rarest pen? That's all subjective I guess. I have several pens which could be one of a kind, but that aren't probably worth that much, then there are some eyedroppers I have that I don't think I'll ever see another of, even if there are others floating around. If I had to pick one, it would be this one, a Relief 314 taper cap eyedropper with ventless nib and vented feed in near mint condition (and pretty!):


Only because I don't know that I'd ever be able to replace it. I have pens I've paid more for, but I have seen others, or variations on them. This pen might count as my favorite too.

5) Holy Gail? Ummm..., At this point, probably a Relief 4 (A large pen), or a Relief 7 piston filler. I imagine at some point I'll find them, it'll just take enough searching and enough money. Now, if Esterbrook ever had a retractible nib safety, or overlay eyedropper made, that's definitely Holy Grail material, but the jury is still out, and I doubt those were ever made. I hear there was a solid gold Relief set made, but if I recall, asking price on it was $2000 several years back. Don't know who sold it, who bought it (if it sold) or any other info. It was one of those "I know someone who knew someone who heard of one of these..." kind of deals.

6) I've thought about setting up a display at a Pen Show, but with esterbrook, a lot of the pens are fairly common. Also, if I did that, I'd restrict my ability to go about and shop for pens at a show, and the thought of having all (or most) of my collection at a show firghtens me. I like them safe and sound in my chest at home. Of course, visitors to my home get the grand tour, desk sets included, so if you're in the neighborhood, do drop on by.

7) Mrs. Anderson gets all my pens when I go, provided I go first. The other day she told me she likes a lot of my pens and would want to keep many of them because they are a] pretty and b] write really nice. By the time she's done weeding through them, there might only be a few left. Sorry folks.

Ok, now how about our co-moderator? Gerry? How about you?

Best-
Brian

Yes, I know that in the esterbrook world there is Brian and then everybody else,
but since we are looking up to him, I thought I would answer this question my self too. Can I? Thanks


1) What was the first esterbrook pen you ever owned?

3 Esterbrook Js e-bay item 731469256 for $25.00 on 11/09/2002 22:26:03

2) What is your most favorite pen in your collection

They are all my children
It could be:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=1261 or
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=2715 or
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=6250 or
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=6047

3) How many pens do you own (take a guess)

About 60-70 Esterbrook out of ... around 400 total.

4) What is the most "rare" pen you own?

Maybe this:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=10516
or maybe the Relief pencil that I got last week. But nothing close to the

5) What is the "holy grail" pen that you don't own?

Many as I am rather "new" in the game. Anything from Relief 4, 5, 6, and 7 and a RMHR 1 would be nice

6) Will you ever set up an Esterbrook Only Pen Show?

?

7) Who are your pens willed to? ;o)

Most probably, indirectly to Bloombury Auctions

Golly Brian,

I've willed all my J's,SJ's and the four purse pens to you - I thought it was an unwritten rule that it worked both ways.

Just because I haven't yet acquired any Reliefs, BHR, or Cracked Ice Esterbrook pens shouldn't alter the reciprocity implicit in the brotherhood of moderation should it?

I've a couple MIB Esties - CW instructions (very rare I believe...) so my collection is obviously similar... LOL

I'll have my wife contact your wife - I'm sure something equitable can be worked out....

As for the FAQ,

1) What was the first esterbrook pen you ever owned?
The original one I bought to use at school - probably grade 6. Don't remember whether it was a J or SJ, although I do remember it was a blue one.

2) What is your most favorite pen in your collection
My Eclipse FP, because it is the only tangible heirloom from my GGF Archie, a wonderful old guy I remember from my youth. We were 70+ years seperated in age, but he knew how to talk to kids. I still remember some of the back porch discussions we had some 40-50 years ago.

3) How many pens do you own (take a guess)
A couple hundred - a lot of them Esties.

4) What is the most "rare" pen you own?
Perhaps the Eagle cartridge pen - one of the first cartridge pens made.

5) What is the "holy grail" pen that you don't own?
Most of Brian's Relief pens... LOL (perhaps an Estie cracked ice..)

6) Will you ever set up an Esterbrook Only Pen Show?
You're kidding, right?

7) Who are your pens willed to? ;o)
Why, Brian - of course... LOL

Regards,

Gerry

Can you be more specific? What time did you place your bid? Was it a snipe? How much did you pay in shiping?


Ok, you can have all my J's, SJ's and the four or five purse pens I own.



I'm sure they'd be happy to talk, but maybe not to our benefit.

Funny stuff, my wife and I haven't laughed this hard in a while.

Brian

Gosh, I didn't know that I could initiate such a quandry.

Let me suggest:

I shall hold Antonio's, Brians, and Gerry's pens in trust until this is all settled. I shall equitably and fairly distribute them to the appropriate persons as deemed by the courts (did I mention I'm a good friend of the judge?).

Any other members who would like the same equal and fair distribution may entrust their pens to the same estate, but of course none of us are of sound mind.

It may however, take quite some time to make it through my friend's court caledar as it's swamped, and I shall have to closely review each estate personally.

I supose you'll want to especially evaluate those yellow cracked ice pens/pencils I have eh, Ellis?

Best-
Brian